My opinion of educators in the Philippines. What is yours?

[hk blues]

Let's be fair here, how can we possibly compare Western education to that available here? The best private school in my city charge about 1500 usd for a year - how much would you pay on the West for the same?  As for public school - is it even worth trying to rationalise?

We have to accept compromise in everything we have here and education is no different. 

I'm not saying I'm happy with it, I'm as frustrated as the next person about the lack of dedication shown by most employees here but what can you do?

Another thing to remember is that online teachers can earn 30,000 php upwards ' can they get that in a mainstream school? Nope!

You get what you pay for.

[graham59]

Another one of those aspects of Philippines life that we are not going to fix, so have to learn to live with, and adapt to the needs of our children.

My boy will go to the public school up the road. 

He will be as good at googling his homework as those in the expensive private schools... and I can still help him when it is needed.

I will try not to keep correcting the teacher's English though , as I used to do with my stepchildren's assignments, when we all lived in the Phils, and they attended private school. lol  

Edited December 27, 2018 by graham59

[Dave Hounddriver]

[Gratefuled]

5 hours ago, hk blues said:

Let's be fair here, how can we possibly compare Western education to that available here? The best private school in my city charge about 1500 usd for a year - how much would you pay on the West for the same?  As for public school - is it even worth trying to rationalise?

We have to accept compromise in everything we have here and education is no different. 

I'm not saying I'm happy with it, I'm as frustrated as the next person about the lack of dedication shown by most employees here but what can you do?

Another thing to remember is that online teachers can earn 30,000 php upwards ' can they get that in a mainstream school? Nope!

You get what you pay for.

I am sure they must advertise this amount but do you actually know someone who earns 30,000 PHP or more per month? Where and for what company? I'm sure it takes more than just showing up and answering the phone. 

My wife has 2 nieces who work at call centers here. They both have some college units but have not yet finished. 

[expatuk2014]

Well this is my version, the Sister-in-law is a Teacher at the local College this college teaches Fisheries,and also Criminology and other subjects she earns 40,000 +pesos a month, her hours are 7am to 5pm mon-fri many of her last years students are now Teachers and Police officers and some working in Aquaculture .Her small house is always piled with exam papers and other school related work. And she often spends weekends at no extra pay writing exams and preparing for the following weeks lessons.as for her dedication she takes her pupils into the field so to speak up to her knees in water !

Yes i know the Philippines is nothing like the US or UK  education systems but the teachers do a good job with the little resources they have.

My wifes family is a good example of the teachers dedication, 2 of her Brothers worked for the DENR another brother was a police officer, another brother works in saudi as an accountant for an oil company. And the wifes nephews are a Self enployed dentist,a mining engineer in Aus,another is a geologist,and another is a Doctor,another is a priest one of the wifes neices works as a Aquacuture scientist, and another is a nurse, and my wife was a manager the Dept of Agraian reform before we got married. I am proud to say i have many Filipino relatives working around the world .

 

 

[Robi]

Interesting subject, foreign teachers are highly recruited by the local school districts in South Carolina. Have serveral for tenants and they seem to like it here. 

[hk blues]

18 hours ago, Gratefuled said:

I am sure they must advertise this amount but do you actually know someone who earns 30,000 PHP or more per month? Where and for what company? I'm sure it takes more than just showing up and answering the phone. 

My wife has 2 nieces who work at call centers here. They both have some college units but have not yet finished. 

I know someone who earns more than 30,000 php per month as an online teacher here in the Philippines very well - me! The hours are long but a monthly income of 30k plus for a dedicated tutor is very achievable. And, no, I'm not paid more as a native speaker - the pay structure is the same for all. This does not require additional work outside the lesson i.e. all materials and students are provided.

The main problem is that many/most of the younger generation are simply not willing to roll their sleeves up and put the hours in. Sorry to be brutal, but that's the reality IMHO.

[Gratefuled]

Is an "online teacher" the same as a call center employee?

Ok, maybe but wife's nieces earn about 12,000 a month at a call center. Both with college experience. I guess it depends on how much one knows and who they are employed with but I venture to say that I doubt that over 30,000 a month is the norm.

[hk blues]

5 minutes ago, Gratefuled said:

Is an "online teacher" the same as a call center employee?

Ok, maybe but wife's nieces earn about 12,000 a month at a call center. Both with college experience. I guess it depends on how much one knows and who they are employed with but I venture to say that I doubt that over 30,000 a month is the norm.

The two are very different -I didn't intend to suggest they were similar or paid similarly although I have heard they do tend to recruit from the same talent pool so surely cannot be miles apart in terms of salary? There are soooo many variables though, making it hard to compare. Even as an online Tutor it's not easy - I met a guy who was earning 5x more per lesson than I but he was restricted to about 3 hours per day and all evening work. Total income for him less but much less hours worked - it depends what's more important to each of us.

I can't help with pay rates for call centre employees but I'd say it very much depends on working pattern/employer/client type/location. The college thing may seem relevant, but in a country which churns out certificated students I'm not sure how relevant. Your relatives may be a different case of course.

One thing's for sure here as anywhere - companies pay the amount they have to to keep the business going. Not the amount they should!

[hk blues]

18 hours ago, expatuk2014 said:

I am proud to say i have many Filipino relatives working around the world .

 

 

And therein lies the problem! High quality labour who are unable to help the country develop other than through the monthly remittances upon which so many depend.